New Delhi, May 4 : Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports M S Gill on Tuesday said he has made no changes of his own in adopting the new regulations, which limit the tenure of sports administrators.

Gill said his ministry has only restored the regulation of the ''1975 Indira Gandhi Government'' and that he has made no changes of his own in the new regulation.

"In the time of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, 74-75, these regulations were issued by the education sports ministry limiting terms among other things for better management and promotion of sports in India, that is the fundamental objective," said Gill.

"These had been set-aside in a casual order in August 2002 by the then minister with no reasoning really and we have restored the regulations of 74-75. I have made no regulations of my own," he added.

Gill further said that his ministry has relaxed the norm in accordance with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regulations, to allow National Sports Federation (NSF) Presidents to continue for 12 years, instead of the eight suggested by the original 1975 guideline.

"We have done so because we have studied the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regulations, we have in fact softened these regulations. They said two terms and then a break. The International Olympic Committee says
12 years for the president total and an age limit of 70," said Gill.

"We said we would go with that. So now 12 years. But if somebody wants 12x30, 30x40, I have nothing to say on that," he added.

Gill added that the new regulation has got nothing to do with the Commonwealth Games and that all office bearers should continue with their term until next elections.

"This has no impact on the Commonwealth Games. Nothing to do with them. We have also made it clear that all office bearers do their work, carry on their term as and when future elections come, which are mainly in 2012, 13 and so on and so forth," he noted.

The Sports Ministry released an order on Sunday according to which the maximum tenure of the President of a National Sports Federation shall be 12 years, with or without a break.

And for the secretary and the treasurer, the tenure shall not be more than two successive tenures of four years each, the order said.

However, the regulation has been opposed by many sports office bearers, who questioned its timing since it came barely five months before the 2010 Commonwealth Games. (ANI)